If yesterday heals
by Datninjaturtle
Summary: Leonardo Hamato and his brother, Michelangelo, have always had a normal, easy life. But what happens when they meet two kids that haven't? That grew up very differently? What secrets from his fathers past will be revealed, and could these strangers be family after all? HS AU
1. Leo's morning

**Heyheyhey! wassup peeplez? This was just a little plot bunny that i've had in my head for months, and just know decided to write! Any way, i have chapter two planned, should be up by next week. hopefully longer!**

Leo P.O.V.

Leo P.O.V.

I wake up feeling surprisingly well rested, despite the fact that I could barely sleep at all last night. My ocean blue eyes open to face my ceiling, originally all white, but the center had been painted with a spiraling blue sky behind a turtle design. I've always liked the painting. Turtles are my brother and I's favorite animal, and seemed like a family thing, something we shared, as silly as it sounds.

My bedroom ceiling, as well as my younger brother's, which is an orange sunset with a sea turtle, were painted by our father in his free time. Our father is a Ninjutsu teacher and our Sensei, but he still always finds time to hang out with us, even as teenagers, and trust me, Mikey can get pretty dramatic, even on a good day. He has a pretty active imagination as well. But still, all in all, life is good. I don't think anything could make our lives better.

I take a deep breath, rolling out of bed to greet the new day. But not just any day- the first day of school! I know, I know, not very exciting to some people, but I, for one couldn't be more ready, having nearly slept in my clothes I was so excited. In the end I did, however, end up wearing normal pajamas.

I jump off my mattress, (Space Heroes, of course) and pull of my p.j shirt (also Space Heroes). I look around my spotless, Space Heroes themed room for my blue button up shirt before spotting it resting in a neat pile with my favorite pair of jeans. I grin and lift up the clothes, putting them on.

After getting dressed I walk down the hall to to bathroom, brushing my medium length straight black hair into an even part with my blue comb (we had to color code nearly everything in the bathroom because of what is known as the "lice incident"), and slipping on my new tennis shoes while brushing my teeth. I race to Mikey's room and wake him up, feeling slightly better about myself when I see that he, in fact, did sleep in his clothes, his green shorts and bright orange and green hoodie looking slightly big on his short body, even though it was the smallest the store had.

Mikey is, and always has been, the baby of our family. Even if he wasn't so small and a year younger than me, his pale, round face, dotted with freckles, that held those bright baby-blue orbs made him look like a child. A child that hates it when people assume he is younger that he is, unless of course, he can get something out of it.

I wait as he pulls on his rain boots (no, it is not raining, it's just Mikey), and we jump down the stairs together. Our house is somewhat old-fashioned, but we don't mind. It has a nice, homey feeling to it, and always smells like hot tea.

Our father, Hamato Yoshi, meets us at the bottom of the stairway, handing us our backpacks, lunches, and even a slice of pizza as breakfast, per usual.

"How are you this morning, my sons?" he asks gently as Mikey hugs him goodbye.

"Great Sensei. Can't wait for school. It's been too long." i laugh, hugging him as well.

He smiles before shoeing us out the door so he could meditate and watch some out onto the porch to walk to school. It's always easiest for us to walk because, well, we live almost right across the street from my, and now Mikey's, school, TMNT. Don't ask me what TMNT stands for, because I wouldn't know (i'm not sure anyone does, really). And DEFINITELY don't ask Mikey, because he will come up with the CRAZIEST names. On several occasions he has sworn it secretly stood for 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. Like I said, Mikey has a pretty active imagination.

We head across the street and walk up the grey marble steps to the highschool, briefly passing a very frightening looking man yelling at what are presumably his sons, one in a red muscle shirt, and the other hiding inside a large purple hoodie. Man, I sure wouldn't want to be those guys. They look new though, as i've never seen them around before. Maybe Mikey and I will have them for some of our classes. I am shaken out of my train of thought as the bell rings, and we both rush inside so not to be late. As we run in, I think I catch a glimpse of the two boys heading our way.

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 **Edit (11/23/19): i edited and updated parts of all the chapters as i reread it, so its alot better now. shell, was i really that bad at writing?**


	2. Raph's morning

**Well hello there friends! Glad to see that people enjoyed the first chapter! Sorry it was so short, this one's a bit longer to make up for it though! Merry Christmas (almost)**

 **Thank you to: A. Ham- A. Burr** **and Musiclover435 for following, and to Skye7Diamond for reviewing! That really means a lot to me guys, so thnx!**

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Raph's POV

I wake up in my room with a pounding headache. And not some sort of sissy headache that you might get when you have a fever. Nah, this one was closer to, y'know, the kind you get from being hit in the head with a beer bottle. Cuz' that's what happened. I shake my head with a pained groan, trying to recall exactly what had happened last night.

Flashback

Dad, and I shudder at the fact that that's who he is- our father-, was drinking (again). I could tell by the way that he slumped in the door, or more like fell. He kept muttering some nonsense about Mom- which was a huge clue because he NEVER talks about our Mom anymore. Ever since she passed away it was like she had been completely forgotten. He never spoke of her unless it was in his sleep, or he was wasted. He never wanted to hear about her either. I mentioned her once and ended up with nearly a face full of wall. I haven't brought her up- out loud at least- since.

While he was murmuring he had a slur, another sign. He never has had a great concept of grammar- maybe the only thing i got from him- but he always tells us to speak clearly. Well, me at least. He doesn't exactly like it when Don talks a lot. But, uh i guess that's another story. Anyway, he trudded in and I raced over to help him to sit down. He may be evil, but he is our father… ok, fine,I just wanted him to stay in a semi good mood. He might be scary when he's sober- and that's comin' from me, a guy who aint afraid of nothin'-, but he's a whole nother story when he's buzzed. While he's strong normally, the guy's like a freak when he gets drunk. Throwin' me into a wall? That's nothin' for him. Tossing me AND Don at a wall- a stud by the way, and my arm hurt for a week after- hard enough to make a hole, or at least a dent, well at least for what I know, isn't normal.

So I knew enough then not to try and make him mad. Instead I got him some water from the sink in our run-down kitchen, and tried to get outta his way before things got worse. I walked towards the stairs and almost made it when he asked me.

"Where'sss yur brutthher?" I froze. Don was in his room, hiding from, well, Dad. My little brother never gets in his way, like well, me. I'm always pushing boundaries, making sure Dad knows not to mess with him, or me. He always just stands there and takes it, doesn't even argue, but for some reason that I can't comprehend, Dad seems to hate him. Not that there's anyone Dad doesn't hate… well, except Mom…

I was shaken out of my thoughts when he spoke again. "Ih asskedd yooo a question, son!" I began to panic. Dad gets really violent when he drinks, and I don't have a death wish. But I had sworn to protect my little bro from everything. So I hadn't answered. Just stood there. And that's when Dad got angry.

End Flashback

I shake my head, the memory becoming too blurry, bringing forth another wave of pain. Running my strong hands through my messy mop of spiky red hair, I stand up, throwing on my favorite shirt and some pants. Squinting into the mirror, I smile, though it comes out looking fake. And it is. I sigh, grabbing my bag and slippin' on some old tennis shoes. I walk out of my room, which is actually an old walk-in closet with a small futon and a mirror shoved into it, and head down the, very short, hallway. No time to worry about yesterday. Yesterday can't heal. Today, though, was the first day of school! Don't get me wrong, I give about two sh*ts about school, and haven't gone since like sixth grade- which i'm sure is breaking' some kinda law by the way- but eight hours a day, five days a week far away from our dad? Sign us up! I'm also secretly a little about being around people. It might be good for us. We're loners, usually, but uh, maybe we could stand to have a friend or two. Well, we got Casey, but that knucklehead's pretty much family. A heckuva lot better family than our "dad" that's for sure! And speakin' of him, Casey said he was gonna come to school too, so we at least will have one person there that we know.

I knock on the door to my little brothers room, which used ta be an old storage room, and is still nearly empty except for the laptop and dusty mattress that lie on the grey floor, making the "bedroom" look like an old, sad photo of depression. Not that my room is any better, with the walls so chipped they look like they got in a fight with my dad, which was true, to some degree.

Donnie unlocks the old door and it swings open. He's standing there in his too-large purple hoodie and a pair of jeans, his brownish-red eyes peeking out from under his long dusty brown hair, pulled into a loose ponytail. His glasses are broken- again. It's fine, he doesn't really need them for too much anyway, but they help him read. Who knew staying up all night on an old computer, and being hit in the head all the time would weaken your vision? (I did).

I hand him a pair of tennis-shoes and he picks up his laptop, shoving it into his brown canvas shoulder bag, before we slink down the stairs. Passing the kitchen, our stomachs growl, but we knew it would be pointless ta hope. Dad never made breakfast, and we barely had enough food anyways. Better to save it for later. Don stops by the edge of the stairs, and I walk over to our father, who is now passed out on the couch.

"Uh, Dad?" I poke him a few times. Eventually, he wakes up.

"Whaddya want you sonuva-"  
"Dad!"

He looks at me with a death glare that I all to happily return. "You said you'd take us to school today." I state, somewhat calmly. He rolls his eyes.

"That? You two idiots woke me up for school!?" he groaned. "Fine, but only because I'm lookin' forward to a whole day without you two f**k-ups screwin' everything up- again." he glares at us, and I want to shout at him for cussing in front of Donnie- again, but decide not to. After all, he's actually in a pretty good mood so far- well, for him. He grunts and shoves us out the door before locking the house and tellin' us to get in the truck. After we're in, he scoots inta the driver's seat, pushing some paper that look like driving tickets off of the dashboard. I wouldn't be surprised if they were tickets. Anyone who's seen the way our dad drives knows there's gotta be something wrong with him. Ha! If they only knew.

We ride almost in silence, if you don't count the occasional cussing and/or yelling at other drivers that Dad was content on continuing.

The school, TMN… T! -right, that's it- is HUGE! At least compared to where we live. I don't realize that I'm staring until Dad yells at me to move it along. I'm not exactly surprised, but still, it's amazin' to see a building so big. On our side of town, everythin' is run down and small, and- in my honest opinion- looks like complete crap. We begin to walk away when he stops us, turning us around to face him.

"Remember, don't embarrass me while you're here, or I'll pull you right out!"

We nod.

"And Raphael- do NOT take any sh*t from anyone! In a fight, do whatever it takes to win!"

I nod sharply, almost insulted that he thought I would ever lose a fight. Even more though, I'm actually disgusted by his lack of honor. He turns to my brother.

"And, -ugh- you. Just keep your head down and don't talk to people! I don't want them askin' any questions. S'not my fault your so dumb!"

Oh heeeree we go again! I roll my eyes quickly. If he actually bothered to pay attention, he'd know how smart Donnie really is. 'Lot smarter than him, that's for sure!

"And NO MATTER WHAT! ARE YOU TO EVEN THINK ABOUT RUNNING AWAY! I've already contacted the school so they will be on the lookout. They know the kind of trouble you get into, and will not HESITATE to contact me! IS THAT CLEAR!?"

We both nod, but I hadn't really even heard what he said. Instead, my focus was on another kid. He seemed to be watching us. He looked confused, his deep blue eyes squinting as if to see if he recognized us. Hah! Good luck with that! Never been to this school before! I almost laugh at his quizzical face, but don't because Dad is staring me in the eyes. He opens his mouth to say something… when the bell rings. I laugh at this and run around him towards the large grey doors, pulling Donnie along by his sleeve.

"Yeah, yeah! See ya!" I shout back with a grin. Man, I hope this whole "school" thing works out.

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 **Whew this one is way longer now**


	3. Icebreakers- Mikey POV

**Heyheyhey wassup! Yeah, i wasn't super impressed with this one, and my Japanese isn't the best, so i truly apolagize if anything is wrong, and would love to know. On another note, thank you to all the lovely people actually bothering to read this!**

Mikey's POV

So, Leo and I are just walkin' to school right? I mean its really close to our house, which is just across the street. Yeah, and we see this TOTALLY ugly lookin' dude. And I know enough not to judge people on looks. But man was he UGLY. And he was mean too. That's how I knew he was REALLY ugly. Nice people aren't ugly. They just look different and need to be accepted. But anyway, he had these two kids with em' and I think they were like his sons or something, cuz' he just started yelling at em'. Not that parents should EVER yell at their kids like that. Sensei told me. In fact, he said adults should never yell or throw tantrums in public at all! He told me that being an adult happened to everyone, but being a grownup wa different, and most adults weren't even really grown up! He said they were just oversized babies! I laughed at that. And then he got real serious for a sec and told me not to say that to their faces though if I someone like that. He said to let him handle it.

So, he was goin' all king kong on em', like a really angry bear or something. And they didn't even DO anything! In fact, they looked like two totally nice dudes! Well, maybe the grumpy one in red didn't look nice per say… but he was DEFINITELY not as mean as his dad. Me and Leo could hear his complaining from the other side of the courtyard, even if we couldn't quite make out what they were saying. I think I started staring for a bit, cuz' the hoodie kid locked eyes with me for a few seconds before he looked back down at the ground. Maybe I freaked him out? Nah, it was probably just cuz' he and his bro were getting chewed out for something. Right. Anyway Leo was about to go all into mother hen mode and tell me how it wasn't right to stare when HE looked at them. And he stared even harder, like he was trying to recognize them from somewhere, like his dorky Space Heroes fan-club. NEWS FLASH LEO, YOU ARE THE ONLY MEMBER! But seriously, he was looking at them like he knew them from a wanted poster when the bell rang.

School bells have that really annoying tone you just CAN'T ignore, no matter how much you want to! It sounds like a cross between a duck choking on helium and a broken record that used to play police siren sounds. Long-story-short? Annoying as shell. Yeah shell. I like to make turtle puns. So does Leo, but he makes the WORST joke about everything… where was I again? Oh right! Bells.

We couldn't ignore it, though in all honesty, we didn't want to! School was finally starting! After an entire summer of wondering what high-school was gonna be like, I finally get to come with Leo! Though now that I think about it, he DID say something about more homework… but i'm sure it'll be fine. What could possibly happen? Oh right. Those kids. As we rush inside I see 'em start running towards us (well, Red's running, and Hoodie's just kinda… what's the word for utterly failing at walking? Red's just sorta pulling him along by the sleeve, which to me looks like the only reason he hasn't tripped yet).

As they pass us I feel a rush of cold air and I lock eyes with that Hooded kid again. Time seemed to slow down as I stared at him for a second. He has big red eyes. Wait, red eyes!? That's like, SO the coolest thing ever! The only time I sever see anyone with red eyes is in like anime or stuff like that! But seriously, they run past me and ALMOST into Leo, and man, as he jumps backwards with this shocked look on his face, even though I know I should be thinking "Mikey, help a bro out" all I really could think was: "Man, Leo looks like a constipated chicken right now!" In all honesty, I don't think it was fair of him to be so mad at me. It was a totally normal thing to laugh at.

"Sorry bro." I laugh as I pick up his binder and some papers for him. "It was just the BEST face I have ever seen made by any human being. Or chicken." And I mean it too, which is SUPER serious considering the stupid faces chickens make.

"Hmph." he sighs, forgiving me like the totally awesome dude that he is. "It's fine. See you after school! Pizza gyoza on me."

Wait, did he just say-

I look back at him and he nods before walking off towards his homeroom. YES! Pizza Gyoza is like THE BEST THING EVER. And, in case you happen to be wondering, my BEST THING EVER does not change every two minutes. Every four at the most. Okay, three. But being able to accept stuff that's totally awesome is THE BEST THING EVER! Okay, fine, it's two minutes.

So I walk down the hallway with my turtle backpack in tow. The school hallway is super clean and it's kind of a weird contrast to the horrible state the lockers are in. Kids should totally take better care of their stuff!

I look back at my schedule to confirm that my first hour- or Homeroom, as Leo called it- was Science. I groan. It's not the kids, or the teacher, or even the fact that some kids say it's boring. It's just that I DIDN'T GET IT. No teacher has ever really tried to explain this stuff to me, so I just slide by with a D+. I like to be optimistic, but there is just not really any reason for me to like the class. Otherwise it'd be totally cool. I could Blow. Stuff. Up. THAT would be rad.

I walk into the class and find a desk. After i sit down I see the hoodie kid stumble in by himself. I kinda feel sorry for him. I mean, he looks REALLY nervous without his bro, and I know where the dudes comin' from. I, of course, had Leo to help sometimes, but when he wasn't here? I'm not really sure what to do. So I do what Mikey's are made to do. Help a brotha' out!

"Yo, Hoodie!" I whisper yell, waving to him from my seat. He turns around. "Sit here!" I point to the desk next to mine. I can tell he isn't quite sure, but he sits next to me anyway. He keeps his head down though. I lean over to look at him and he gives me a look that I can literally hear telling me: You are sucking the oxygen right out of my personal space here. I wince and sit back in my chair.

The teach walks up to the front of the room and introduces himself as Mr. Rockwell. He has these sideburns that almost look like a monkey. Not in a bad way though. It suits him. Anyway, he's super nice and when he finishes, he tells us that since it's our first day, we will be playing an icebreaker game instead of going over rules like the rest of the classes. Alright jury's in, I officially like this teacher!

He has has us all sit in a circle on the floor, and tells us that we will go in a circle, saying our names, our favorite food, color, and animal, something we really like, and something we don't. He picks this one kid, Jason, to go first. He says his favorite food is PB and Js, color is orange, and he really likes geckos. He says their cool cuz' they don't have to blink. They just lick their eyes. He also says he really likes skateboarding, and really doesn't like bullies. He's really cool sounding. A couple other kids go up, including one kid Casey. Hoodie actually looks up at him and nods as he begins talking. So maybe they're friends or something already.

It takes like forever for it to get to me. I jump up and excitedly exclaim that I like pizza, orange, and turtles. I also tell them that i really like being a ninja. Even if I am just a genin, I really like learning. People seem to think that I'm cool since I could kick their butts, but whatever. I just continue and tell them that I really don't like segregation. I believe in equality. Then I sat down. Nothing more to it. It was still totally cool though. Sitting right next to me is … well I can't call him Hoodie anymore, but he doesn't move to stand up or introduce himself. He looks at Casey who stands up and sits right next to him and whispers something. He nods, and they both stand up. Then he does something I didn't expect. He introduces himself perfectly normal-like, except in Japanese! I totally didn't know he could talk- like at all! Not only is he talking but he has the accent like totally down, and he even sounds so calm when like literally three seconds ago he was like dying. Casey starts translating for him, but I don't have to wait, because I already know Japanese. Besides not to throw things in the house, it's one of the first things Sensei taught Leo and me.

"Kon'nichiwa. Watashinonamaeha Donaterodesu."

"Hello. My name is Donatello." Casey helpfully, and calmly adds. One kid starts to raise his hand, but before he can ask, Donnie- I should ask if I can call him that- sighs.

"Hai. Watashi wa yūmeina runessansu no geijutsuka ni chinande nadzuke raremashita."

Casey smiles a little. "Yes. Like the renaissance artist." The kid puts his hand down. Oh my gosh just like me and Leo!

He continues. "Watashi no sukinatabemono wa kōhīdesu." Casey laughs a bit, before muttering a quick "of course." "His favorite food is coffee. Don't argue. Trust me." This gets a small laugh.

"Sukina iro wa murasakidesu." he deadpans, gesturing to his hoodie. No one even needs Casey's help. "Purple."

Donnie smiles at me a little and says. "Kame."

I gasp so loud I swear somebody probably thought I was trying to inhale a desk. "OHMYGOSHDUDEITOTALLYLOVETURTLESTOOO!" I whisper-yelled for the second time that day. Everyone laughed at that, because hey, I am one totally funny dude. After that any tension in the room disappeared. He tells everyone that he likes quiet, and being alone. He apparently hates- and he literally says this- when people act or are stupid. I cup my hand over my mouth and laugh so hard I snort, albeit silently. He sits down and Casey walks over to where he was sitting and Donnie just freezes again. It's almost like he needs someone he knows or he will explode. I wonder why. Also, why the Japanese? I mean, he knows English, at least, understands it… okay, this is seriously starting to weird me out.

Before I know it, class is over and everyone's running out the door. I catch up to him a little before calling out, "Wait!" He turns around.

"Can I call you Donnie?" He nods, smiling a little.

 **So yeah... he was speaking Japanese because of... reasons. that i will explain in later chapters... probably through Casey. it will hopefully make sense eventually. There IS a reason tho.**


	4. icebreakers- Donnie's POV

**Donnie's POV**

When we finally get out of the car, Dad stops us at the sidewalk, and begins yelling at us. I- I really don't know what we did this time, and he's talking so loud and fast that it's hard to make out exactly what it is he's screaming, so I just keep my head down, sneaking a few glances at Raph to see if he can hear what he's saying. I really don't know if my ears will work properly after this. I look up for maybe a second, just to see what the school looks like, and there's these two kids there. Not that I didn't expect kids, it IS a school, after all, but there seems something… _odd_ … about them.

Maybe it's the fact that the only people I know are some of the thugs from gangs that Saki runs. Yeah, we know about those. Not that he doesn't TRY to keep us from finding out about his illegal work, just that he doesn't do a very good job. And we've overheard Xever say a few things about our dad.

Maybe it's the fact that our only friends are Casey and each-other. After all, I don't know them. But then, that's just it. They seem almost _familiar_. Even though I know I've never seen them before. They both seem to be completely covered in what must be their favorite colors. Not that I can blame them, of course. One of them- Blue- is staring at Raph like he's trying to read his mind. His straight black hair lays in neat banngs over his ocean eyes, making his gaze seem all the more mysterious as he scrutinizes my older brother. It's weird seeing someone stare and knowing they _don't_ want to hurt us. Instead, he seems to be trying to find out if he knows us.

The other- Orange- is trying to shake his brother- that's what I assume they are- out of his daze, before ultimately giving up and settling for looking our way as well. He glances briefly at Raph before his bright baby-blue orbs find their way to me. His curly blonde hair, messy and free, offsets his brother's dark, straight. Freckles dot his pale, round face, making him almost look a year younger than I know he is. His gaze, though an almost icey-blue in color, seems warm and friendly, childlike even. It makes me somewhat jealous to see them standing together, so carefree and happy. I quickly discard the thoughts. It isn't their fault they aren't related to _him._ I look back down at the ground.

The two boys keep watching until the bell rings. I almost don't notice, lost in thought, but Raph grabs my sleeve and pulls me along, shouting something back at Saki. He rushes towards the doors, and for a moment time slows down as I turn my head and we rush past Orange. His eyes widen when he looks at me, and before I know it, time speeds up again, and Raph swerves to avoid Blue, who jumps back with a look on his face that rivals all funny chicken videos. I almost laugh, a small smile crossing my tan face.

Soon after we turn a corner I hear Orange laughing as well, comparing his brother to a chicken- hmm, guess I'm not the only one- and saying goodbye. That's when I remember, as Raph slows down and I gain my footing, that we have to go to SEPERATE classes. My breath quickens. Raph turns around as soon as he hears my hyperventilating. He puts his hand on my shoulder and smiles. I smile back, not as worried as before. He hands me my schedule, though I almost give it back. After all, I had memorized it shortly after we received them from the school. Instead I turn back and begin walking around the lockers, trying (and failing) to ignore the disgusting condition they are in. I turn left twice before i end up in another long hall. The lockers on this side are the same. I grimace, almost walking past the room my first class is in.

Science. I'm not really that smart, at least that's what Dad always says, and I at least know enough not to argue, but I really like science because it just makes sense. No people, no worries, just facts. No one can change facts. And with my life, there's just something comforting about something so solid. The one catch is that at school, there's other people. I know I'm probably going to be the dumbest person there, and I hate it. I-I-... I've never been to a real school before, Raph and I were always homeschooled by Dad. He taught us Japanese and basic martial arts, before handing it off to one of his employees. He didn't have a name, but he always reminded us of a tiger, so we ended up calling him Tiger Claw, and I guess it stuck. He taught us a lot, and even some English. English is one of the hardest languages, butRaph seemed to get it almost instantly. I struggled so much that Dad gave up after teaching me the basics. If he didn't think I was useless before, then he did then. I stayed up every night for two months after that until I could understand most of the language, but I still have a stutter and can't speak most of it.

That's one reason why I'm glad that Jones will be in the class. He learned Japanese from Raph, and even helped me with some English, once he understood both languages pretty well.

I step into the classroom and look up to see that Orange is waving from 'his' desk near the front of the room. He whisper yells, "Yo, Hoodie!" and I know he's talking to me because he and I are the only ones near the front of the classroom wearing hoods, and mine is the only one up over my head. Funny, I AM always wearing my hood… at least in public, so it's almost fitting, and he seems like the kind of person who enjoys giving people names, not in a mean way, just… it's kind of his thing. I can respect that.

I shuffle over to where he is… well, sitting isn't the right word, because he's barely even touching the seat with how much he's bouncing around, leaning over the desk, talking to other students, staring at me- wait, what? Oh. He's leaning over his desk and mine, trying to look at my face. I'm not exactly sure how to respond, after all, I don't like being in the spotlight very much, and people don't usually take notice of me unless they're making fun of me and oh my gosh why is he just staringatme!? doisayhi!? Orwhatcuzhe'sjust- okay… calm down… breath… slow breaths. Think about this _logically_. He's a nice-looking kid, younger than me by maybe a few months, friendly with everyone… curious. He probably just wants to know what I look like, or if I want to talk.

I'm shaken out of my thoughts when he leans away suddenly. For a second I'm worried, before I realized that I had been glaring at him, and he must have taken that as a sign that I wanted him to back off. _Stupid anti-socialism! Why can't I ever interact with people!?_ I sigh, turning away and burying my head in my arms on top of my desk. The classroom is nice, clean, and- thank God- nothing like the lockers. Rather, it seems to be a spacious, pristine blue and white room, with cabinets filled with clear glass bottles and thermometers. It smells like baking soda and vinegar, but oddly sweet. In the front of the room stands an average-height man with dark brown hair and sideburns. He introduces himself as Mr. Rockwell.

"Alright class, rather than going over rules like the rest of the school, we will be playing an ice-breaker game."

 _Huh. Didn't expect THAT. Most of the teachers here seemed… i don't know,_ boring _i guess._ Before I know it, everyone is meandering over to the front of the classroom, and gathering into a large… failed attempt at a circle. I shuffle behind Orange until he sits down, and I flop down next to him. There are several more kids in class than I had thought there would be, but, luckily for me, Casey is in this class as well! Good thing too, because I don't know if I could speak in front of a crowd on my own.

After a couple of other people go, including Orange, who's name happens to be Michelangelo, or Mikey for short, and then it's my turn.

I start to panic for a second before Casey nods at me, the question clear. I nod and stand up.

" _Konichiwa._ "

As i turn out of the classroom, Mikey calls after me. I turn around and he asks if he can call me Donnie. I nod, smiling. Maybe it won't be so bad here…


End file.
